5 Weird Nigerian Laws You Probably Didn’t Know

Nigeria is not a lawless place as many think…

Nigerians are know to be law abiding citizens when they travel abroad because of the fear of being deported. The same can’t be said here at home. Arguably, not every Nigerian disobey the law but many just find getting in trouble fun…

Every country in this world has strange laws that raise eyebrows in other places. For instance, a dirty car will attract a hefty fine in Russia; thank God that law doesn’t exist in Naija. Nigeria is no exception to weird laws.

Here are some weird and absurd laws in Nigerian

#1. The Illegal colour law

Have you ever seen a private car painted the colour commonly known as “army green”? I bet you haven’t. This is because it is illegal in Nigeria for a private car to be painted army green. Plus everyone is scared of soldiers disfiguring their expensive army green rides and also their faces.

Photo: AfricanExaminer

#2. Witchcraft law

You know how Nollywood is often showcasing witchcraft? I don’t know why they are encouraging it since witchcraft is illegal in Naija. Being a witch or wizard is a misdemeanour and carries a jail time of 2 years.

Photo: Buzz Ng

#3. Jilted lover law

Do you know you can sue your fiance or fiancee for refusing to marry you in Nigeria? Yes, that’s a thing in Nigeria. You can sue anybody who promises to marry you then renegades on that promise.

Photo: RayStyles/PenciledCelebrities/Instagram

#4. Funny Marriage law

In Nigeria, you can obtain a “jactitation of marriage”. What this simply means is that you can get an order preventing someone from identifying as your spouse. Crazy right?!

Photo: IDoGhana/Instagram

#5. Caning is Allowed

The legal age for most things in Nigeria is 18 years. A male offender less than 18 years can be caned in Nigeria. The court can decide to have the offender punished by caning rather than jail time.